Pass the Butter

My dear friend, guest blogger and “Under the Dome” make up artist Rick Pour is more enthusiastic about cocktails than any non-professional mixologist I have ever met. Be warned: his recipes are not for the impatient!

Hello. My name is Rick Pour and I’m a film and television make-up artist by trade. Being that I have never worked behind a bar as a means to make money, I don’t consider myself a bartender or “mixologist,” I am however, an avid cocktail enthusiast. I love craft cocktails and am very much enjoying the recent resurgence of cocktail culture.

To give you an idea of how much I enjoy my cocktails…well, my work has me traveling a lot, and one of the first things that gets packed in my luggage is a cocktail shaker and jigger. And one of my first orders of business when I arrive in a new town is to track down the bar that will be the hangout for my time on that gig. I usually look for places that know the classics and/or have a knowledge of new or unusual cocktails.

At home, my approach to crafting a cocktail begins with figuring out good flavor combinations. I feel that the new cocktail movement is a very important part of the culinary arts and this excites me.

The following are a couple of infusion cocktails I’ve made that over the last couple of years have become staples at our house. These take a few days of prep to allow the infusions to become fully realized.

The El Diablo Margarita

The El Diablo Margarita

2 oz. of Strawberry-Chipotle Tequila
½ oz. agave
Juice of 1 lime
Splash of jalapeno puree
Basil and strawberries for muddling and garnish

Start with a good mid-grade blanco tequila (save the bottle). Note: I’ve found that many infusions tend to mask the harshness or imperfections of most non-top-shelf liquors. So while I don’t recommend cheap rot-gut, I don’t see the need to spend that type of money on high end spirits for infusions. In a wide mouth jar, place the tequila and a whole dried chipotle pepper. Seal the jar and let the pepper sit in there for about 24 hours. Feel free to give a shake every once in a while. You’ll know the tequila is ready when it’s the color of bourbon. If you let it infuse for longer than 24 hours it overpowers the other flavors. Once you remove the pepper, it’s time to add strawberries. One container usually does the trick. Cut off the ends and discard, and then slice them in half. Dump them all into the jar and re-seal. This next infusion tends to take a day or two. You’ll know that it’s time to remove the berries when they have turned white and float to the top. Once you’ve strained out the strawberries, re-bottle the tequila. You’re now ready to make your cocktail.

In a cocktail shaker place 4-5 basil leaves and a few slices of strawberries, add 2oz. of the tequila and muddle them. Add ½ oz. of agave syrup and the juice of 1 lime. (You can adjust the ratio depending on if you want a sweeter or a more sour drink). Add ice and shake! Serve in a traditional margarita glass (salted rim is optional, I’ve found that a smoked sea salt is stellar). Drop a splash of jalapeno puree on top. (Place a fresh jalapeno pepper or two in a blender with some water and puree it. Easy!) A note regarding the puree…you may want to cut the peppers in half and remove some or all the seeds depending on how hot you want it. Garnish with a sprig of basil and a slice of strawberry. What you’ll have is a sweet, tangy, smoky cocktail that gives a slight burn at the back of the throat. The basil really makes the strawberries pop. It’s one of my favorite drinks.

The Persian Martini

The Persian Martini

2 oz. of Saffron infused Gin or Vodka
½ oz. simple syrup
Splash of rose water

I was born in Iran and while my family moved to the United States when I was only 3 or 4 years old, I still remember a few distinct flavors from my childhood. One of these was a saffron-rose ice cream that my mom would make so I decided to try and make a cocktail version.

This one works great with gin or vodka depending on your preference. I’ve used either cheese cloth or a coffee filter for this infusion. I put enough saffron in the middle of a coffee filter to make the equivalent of your average tea bag. (Yes, I know this is expensive-ish as saffron tends to be pricey; there’s usually an abundance in our house as it is a staple in Persian cooking). Tie the filter off with a long sting. You are essentially making a saffron tea bag with a long enough string to suspend in a jar of your chosen spirit. Pour the gin or vodka in a wide mouth jar and drop the bag of saffron in, leaving part of the string hanging out of the jar for easy removal. Seal the jar and let it sit for 3-4 days (a week if you can wait that long, the longer the better with this one.) Again, give it a shake every once in a while. It should be a beautiful orange/yellow color. Pull out the bag of saffron and discard. Using a funnel so you don’t lose any, re-bottle the liquor.

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add 2 oz. of saffron infusion, ½ oz. of simple syrup and a splash of rose water (too much and it’ll overpower and taste like perfume). Shake and serve in a martini glass. I made this for my mom a while ago and she literally teared up a bit. She was shocked by how much she liked it. I ended up making her a bottle of the infusion for her birthday.

Hope you dig these!
-Rick

Rick Pour is a professional make-up artist who most recently worked on Under the Dome and Banshee. In addition to his passion for cocktails, Rick is a dog lover, motorcycle enthusiast, black t-shirt ambassador and is always up for pickle-back.

SCONE vs SCONE

Standing in line at various coffee shops all over North America I can often be found pondering the same question, “That large, dry, over-priced baked thing covered in sugar, what IS that?” The sign always says the same thing: Scone. Can it be that ubiquitous American coffee chains have truly succeeded in perpetrating this fraud? Do people actually think this is a scone? Surely they understand that this over-baked behemoth, requiring constant sips of equally bad coffee to be choked down is not a scone but unable to find the real thing, have settled for this depressing substitute, the thing my friend Bryan calls a giant coffee crouton.

Now, I’m willing to concede that some of those meal replacement-sized, industrial “scones” aren’t so terrible, they simply fall so short of their namesake that I wish they would call them something else. To those of you who enjoy these knockoff scones that offend me so I say, enjoy. Perhaps though, you will allow me to persuade you to try the alternative, and challenge you to bake them yourself.

MY FAVORITE QUIET TIME IN THE MORNING - BAKING BREAKFAST!

MY FAVORITE QUIET TIME IN THE MORNING: MAKING BREAKFAST (scones are on the stove)

The traditional scones of English tea fame are smallish, most commonly round, fitting in the palm of your hand (the triangle shape also seen stateside hails from when scones were baked as one large, flat cake and cut into slices). They are firm enough on the outside to offer a little crumble when eaten and soft enough on the inside to provide a welcoming pillow for strawberry jam or clotted cream. Eating one instantly fills your mouth with the subtle sweetness of butter and cream without being sugary. They are more reminiscent of pastry dough, less like cake.

FRESHLY BAKED SCONES IN LESS THAN 30 MIN!

In England, I found scones most commonly offered in two flavors, plain or with raisins and have also enjoyed savory ones made with cheese. When you make them at home I think the only limits should be what is seasonally available. When the summertime farmer’s market is overflowing with fruit I highly recommend adding berries and in the fall I like to switch over to savory and try adding different cheeses. If you live in a wintery area and go months without local produce fear not, the plain ones are glorious and jam keeps year round : )

Of all the recipes I have tested my favorite is from “Mastering the Basics: Baking.” True to it’s name, the book’s recipe is simple, easy to follow and delicious. It is also one of the best recipes to use as a foundation should you desire to tweak and play, creating the perfect recipe to pass down through your family.

Rich Scones

(I prefer smaller scones and use a 2″ scone cutter but use whatever shape you like or cut free hand with a sharp pointed, non-serated knife).

2 cups self-rising flour
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
1½ oz chilled butter, chopped into small pieces
1/4 cup caster sugar (regular granulated will do in a pinch)
1 egg at room temperature
3/4 cup un-whipped heavy whipping cream
½ tsp pure vanilla extract
1 egg lightly whisked, to glaze

1) Preheat oven to 425º. Lightly grease a baking sheet or line with non-stick baking paper.

2) Sift flour, baking powder and salt together in a medium mixing bowl. Working quickly so the butter doesn’t melt, use your fingertips to rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs (with practice this step gets easier). Stir in the sugar and make a well in the center of the bowl.

3) Whisk the egg, cream and vanilla together with a fork. Pour into to the well in the dry ingredients and mix with a flat-bladed knife, using a cutting action, until the dough comes together in clumps.

4) Use lightly floured fingers to gently gather the dough, lift it onto a lightly floured work surface and knead very lightly and briefly to bring it together in a smooth ball. Pat the dough out to 1 inch think. Use a floured round cutter to cut out scones (press straight down, do not twist the cutter into the dough). Gather the leftover trimmings and without handling to much, press out again to cut more scones. Place the scones close together (I set them almost touching) on the prepared tray and brush lightly with the whisked egg (when I don’t have a basting/pastry brush I just use my fingers).

5) Bake scones for 10-12 minutes or until they are well risen, light golden brown on top and sound hollow when tapped at the base. Best served warm with butter, honey, jam, marmalade, preserves, clotted cream or all! *Leftover scones keep well in an airtight container for at least 3 days. Do not refrigerate them!

PREPARE WORK SURFACE BEFORE ADDING LIQUIDS

DOUGH BALL DOESN’T NEED TO BE PERFECT

CUTTING SCONES WITH A 2″ CUTTER

GLAZING WITH WHISKED EGG

Play! Try adding to batter:

Berries, raisins/sultanas, dried cherries/cranberries, cheese, caramelized onions (at room temp), orange/lemon zest, and anything else your heart desires! Add your extra ingredients after the butter and before you mix in the liquids. (Notes: for savory scones omit sugar from the recipe. Cut fruit or vegetables such as strawberries or onions will add moisture and therefore a little extra baking time to your scones). Happy experimenting!♥

I LOVE WHEN MY FRIENDS WAKE UP TO THIS

THESE MOMENTS ARE THE REASON I BAKE

Looking for the perfect jam? Check out my post on Sqirl : )

Cooking, foodie adventures, restaurants, musings. Everything food.

RICK POURS

TEA WITH…SCONES?